This study of mysticism in Hebrew Gematria
is dedicated in the loving memory of Ms. Fredrica Ann Brown,
may he rest in peace.

There are so many good things in this week's
haftorah reading. It was difficult to select a subject. At the
conclusion of this week's reading are words of encouragement
for everyone.

The novi, Samuel, said to the nation {the
thousands and thousands present}, "Fear not {though} you
have done all this evil, do not turn away from Hashem, but serve
Hashem with all your heart."

This is a wonderful admonition for all of
us. Recently an individual called my office with a problem. She
made a mistake. We all make mistakes! What's new? The point is
simple. You made a mistake, so what's new? Now, remember, the
important thing here is to love Hashem with all your heart. This
is what the novi said to Kal Yisroel, 'Look at all this evil
you have committed. Look at all this wickedness you have done.'
He pointed out serious errors, BUT he didn't just criticize.
As a wise seasoned Judge he advised his subjects, 'Just because
you failed, just because you made serious mistakes, do not use
this as an excuse to stop following Hashem.' Then he offered
encouragement and additional instruction, 'Do not use this as
an excuse to stop following Hashem, BUT serve Hashem with all
your heart.'

He identified the problem and offered a remedy
which is the same thing I did for the lady who called my office.
The problem was, 'You have done all this wickedness because you
have from time to time stopped following Hashem and from time
to time stopped serving Hashem with ALL YOUR HEART!' The remedy
was, 'Continue following Hashem all the time.' How do we know
this? Samuel said, "Serve Hashem with all your heart."
You cannot serve Hashem with all your heart if you fail to constantly
follow Him.

In reading this, we see that the nation acknowledged
their mistake. They identified their problem. They claimed ownership
of their mistakes. They said, "We have added wickedness
to all our other sins, the evil of asking for a king."

Yet, the question is, where is the shuvah?
Where do we see the nation Israel repenting for their mistakes?
Where do we see restitution and the resolve not to repeat these
mistakes? Where do we see the redirection of one's course, that
is, the necessary steps to restructure one's medos? We see all
of this in the novi's counsel, "Serve Hashem with all your
heart." The key here is that within one's own heart are
chambers with the capacity for shuvah. Therefore, when the novi
said, "Serve Hashem with all your heart," that included
shuvah.

At the top of this page we see that the phrases
"With all your Heart" and "The Commandment"
are related by the Gematria of 146. Still they are connected
in a much deeper since. The phrase "With all your Heart"
is like a hidden treasure because through Gematria it points
to "the commandment." It is not just any commandment,
but a specific commandment, referred to by some as, "the
great commandment." It is the Shema..."You shall Love
(serve) Hashem your G-d." How? "With all your heart!"

The beauty of the novi's statement is knowing
that "the commandment" to love {serve} Hashem "with
all one's heart" is inseparably bound with the chambers
of shuvah!

Wishing you the best,

Dr. Akiva G. BelkWeekly Studies

JewishPath is a sponsor of B'nai Noach
Torah Institute. As a sponsor we are permitted to offer one FREE
E-Mail course on a limited basis per individual from BNTI's
Introduction Courses.We invite you to visit and choose an E - Mail
Intro Course. BNTI offers Intro Courses in Judaism and Spirituality
{7 Noaich Laws}. BNTI Responses are NOT AUTO!!